huguenin



(No Model.)

W. E. HUGUENIN.

GHRONOGRAPH. N0. 263,411. Patented Aug. 29, 1882.

Jgl.

WITNESSES: J23. 5i INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAMS E. HUGUENIN, OF LOGLE, SWITZERLAND.

CH RONOG RAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 263,411, dated August29, 1882.

Application filed January 16, 1882. (No model.) Patented in FranceSeptember 1, 1880, No. 138,524.

To all whom at may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAMS EDWARD HUGUENIN, ot' Locle, in the Cantonof Neutchatel and Republic of Switzerland, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Chronographs, (for which I have obtained a patentin France, bearing date September 1, A. D. 1880, No. 138,524,) of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention refers to improvements in stop-watches or chronographswhich are used for timing races, by physicians, and for other purposes;and the invention relates more especially to a stop-watch in which thestarting of the quarter-second hand is accomplished instantly andwithout recoil, and in which, after each revolution of thequarter-second hand, a minute wheel and hand is moved forward so as toindicate the minutes. For this purpose the dial is arranged with aseparate small minute-dial divided into thirty parts, with a small hourand minute dial, and with a circumferential quarter-second subdivision.The starting of the quarter-second hand isaccomplished by means of afulcrumed lever, which is arranged intermediately between the usualactuating ratchet-wheel, pawl, and lever mechanism and the movablebridge of the quartersecond wheel, so that the latter may be thrown inor out of gear with the transmitting-gear of the movement.

In theaccompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top view of myimproved stop-watch with dial removed and drawn on an enlarged scale.Figs. 2 and 3 are detail side views, respectively, of the pivoted bridgeof the quarter-second wheel and of the gearing by which thequarter-second wheel receives its motion from the watch-movement; andFig. 4 is a top view, in about natural size, of the dial used inconnection with my improved stop-watch.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The entire mechanism for working the qua-rter-second and minute hands ofmy improved stopwatch orchronograph is arranged immediately below thedial, the circumference of which is divided into quarter-seconds, alongwhich the quarter-second hand moves. Above the arbor of the quartersecond hand is arranged a dial of a diameter of somewhat less lengththan the radius of the entire dial, for the usual hour and minute hands,and below said arbor a second smaller dial of the same size as the hourand minute dial, as shown in Fig. 4. The second smaller dial is dividedinto thirty parts, to indicate minutes, by an extra minute-hand, whichis actuated in connec tion with the quarter-second hand andsimultaneously shifted therewith to the point of starting. Thisarrangement of the dials has the advantage that all the hands and dialsof my chronograph are at the face of the watch and at one side of themovement.

The extra minute and quarter-second hands receive their motion from anarbor, A, which turns at its lowerend in the casing of thewatchmovement, and receives motion from the move ment by a gear-wheel atits lower end. The upper end of the arborA turns in a fixed bridge, B,and transmits its motion by a minutely-divided pinion near its upper endto the quartersecond wheel D, which is also provided at itscircumference with fine teeth, so as to properly intermesh with thetransmitting-pinion of the arbor A. The quarter-second wheel D turns inhearings in a bridge, 0, which is pivoted at its outer end to apivot-screw, e, and provided at its inner end with a shorter piece, d,below the main piece 0, for supporting the arbor of the quarter-secondwheel I). A spring presses upon one side of the movable bridge 0, andtends to throwit, together with the quartersecond wheel, sidewise andinto gear with the transmitting-pinion ot' the arbor A. From the fixedbridge B extends over the quarter-second wheel D a spring, Y, againstwhich abuts a finger, X, secured to the top of the quartersecond wheelD, when the turning mechanism is in a position of rest, said spring Yserving for the purpose of preventing the recoil of the quarter-secondwheel D at the moment of starting the same.

The drawings show the quarter-second and minute wheels D and E in aposition of rest, while the hands are designed to point to zero thestarting-pointthe wheel D being held in position by the pin a. Onstartingthe timing mechanism the wheel D is released and is free to turnbackward before it reaches the transmitting-pinion and meshes with it,without the interposition of some obstacle. To obviate this result,which would be fatal to the object of the invention, the spring Y isprovided, which not onlypreventsthewheelfrom turningbackward, but guidesthe finger X to the right point of engagement with the spur-wheel. Thespring Y constitutes a zero spring-stop. At each forward revolution ofthe wheel-D the finger X comes in contact with, bends, and overrides thespring Y before reaching zero; but as soon as the spring is released itinstantly recovers its normal position and serves as a brace against thefinger, holding the latter in place at the zero-point whenever the handis turned back. This is an essential feature of my invention, as therebythe quarter-second hand begins, to move without any oscillating or lostmotion as soon as it is started. The finger X has the further purpose toengage a spur-wheel, E, provided with thirty pointed teeth, after eachrevolution of the quarter-second wheel and move it for the distance ofone tooth. The arbor of the minute spur-wheel E turns at its lower endin a step-bearing of the casing and at its upper end in a bridge, Z. Thearbors of the quartersecond wheel D and of the spur-wheel E are extendedthrough the dial and provided respectively with a quarter-second handand a minute'- hand, which move, however, in opposite directions to eachother along their respective dials, as shown clearly by the arrow inFig. 4. As the arbor of the quarter-second hand has to have some play,owing to its being supported in a movable bridge, the face-dial isprovided with a central aperture large enough to admit this motion. Acheek-pawl, U, retains the minute spur-wheel E in position when it isnot moved forward by the finger X. Both the quartersecond wheel D andthe minute spur-wheel E are provided with the Well-known heart-cams 0it, which serve to return the hands simultaneously to thestarting-points on the quartersecond and extra minute dials by a doubleshifting-lever, F. The shifting-lever F is pivoted at its outer end andacted upon by a spring, S. A lever, M, is fulcrumed to the easing of thewatch-movement and arranged to engage by its inner end arm the lowerpart, d, of the bridge G, and by its outer end the radial recesses N ofa raised plate at the under side of a centrally-pivoted ratchet-wheel,G. This ratchet-wheel is provided with fifteen teeth and a check-pawl,T. The ratchet-wheel G is engaged by a pawl, l, at the inner end of afulcrumed push-lever, H, the opposite outer end of which is acted uponby a spring, V, and provided with a push piece which passes through thecase of the watch to the outside, and which serves for successivelystarting, stopping, and returning the hands of the timing mechanism inthe usual manner in stopwatches. A spring, K, acts upon the heel of thepawl I so as to throw the same clear of the teeth of the ratchet G ateach depression of the push-lever H and into the next tooth on therelease of the same. A spring stoplever, L, which is rigidly aflixed tothe movement at its outer end, is thrown by its inner free end towardthe circumference of the quarter-second wheel D, so as to engage theteeth of the same by a pin, a, and thereby stop the wheel D whenever themotion of the quartersecond hand is to be stopped. A heel or projection,P, at the middle portion of the spring arm L serves to engage therecesses N at the under side of the ratchet-wheel G in a similar manneras the inner end of the lever M. A projection, R, of the doubleshifting-lever F is also thrown at the proper time into one of therecesses N Whenever the quarter-second and minute hands are to bereturned to the starting-points.

The different operations of starting, stopping, and returning thequarter-second and minute hands are all accomplished by the push leverH, pawl I, and ratchet-wheel G with its recesses N at the under side inthe-usual wellknown manner. The quarter-second hand and extraminute-hand may always be in motion to be stopped and returned to thestartingpoints, or they may be used only when required.

Whenever the timing attachment is desired to be used the push-lever H isdepressed, and thereby the pawl I thrown into one of the teeth of theratchet G. Simultaneously the heel or projection P of the springstop-lever L drops into one of the recesses N, and the pin a, at itsouter end, L, into the toothed circumference of the quarter-second wheelD, so as to instantly stop the quarter-second hand. The arm 0 of thelever M, being at that moment outside of one of the recesses N and incontact with the raised plate, is thrown sidewise, and serves to throwby its inner end the bridge 0, together with the secondhand wheel D,sidewise, so that it cannot mesh any more with the transmitting-wheel ofthe arbor A. The shifting-lever F, being, with its tooth R, also outsideof one of the recesses N and resting upon the circumference of theraised plate at the under side of the ratchet G, is retained in aposition away from the heart-cams, but ready to engage the same by thenext movement of the push-lever H. By pressing a second time on theouter end of the pushleverH the ratchet G advances another tooth, theheel or projection P of the stop-lever L leaves the recess N, while thepin a releases at the same time the second-hand wheel D. The arm 0 ofthe leverM remains in the same position as before-outside of oneof therecesses N; but as the'tooth of the double shitting-lever F is droppedinto one of the recesses N the lever F is thrown inwardly and engagesthe heart-cams of the quarter-second and minute wheels D and E, andreturns thereby the quarter-second and minute hands to thestarting-points at zero on their respective dials. By pressing upon thepush-lever H a third time the different parts assume the position shownin Fig. 1 of the drawings, the stop-lever L and shifting-lever F beingraised away respectively from the quarter-second wheel D and theheart-cams, while the arm 0 of the lever M drops into one of therecesses N, so that the bridge 0 is thrown sidewise by its spring Q, andconsequently the quarter-second wheel D thrown into mesh with thetransmitting-wheel of the arbor A. The quarter-second hand consequentlystarts instantly, and moves on until it has completed one revolution.Its finger X will then move the minute-wheel, indicating therebysuccessively the minutes until the hands are stopped again by the nextdepressing of the push-lever and returned to the starting-points in themanner desired.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a stop-watch, the combination of thecentrally-pivoted quarter-second wheel D, the finger X, secured to thetop of said wheel D, the spring Y, and the fixed bridge B and movablebridge 0, substantially as described.

specification in the presence of two subserib 5 ing witnesses.

WILLIAMS ED. EUGUENIN.

\Vitn esses:

'1. DURAR, M. MORE.

